Like I said, I think it’s a cool product. I think there are markets out there that it would be great for, and lots of room to improve and grow - the portables, a 360 package, the video streaming, and many more. I’d love to see it do well, because it’s just neat.
But since you refuse to admit any possibility of improvement for your online sales other than thinking up a cool video, I think you’re wasting your time there. Try some of the other angles suggested already instead.
You remind me of other people I’ve known, who had a terrific product - but didn’t make it as a business because they were so sure they knew everything already, and that all obstacles would be overcome by whatever gimmick they’d thought up. It doesn’t work that way.
There are people who specialize in online marketing, including the social media stuff that you’re asking about. Hire a reputable pro. And then actually listen to them.
Good thoughts. The reason I’n on here is to figure out how to expose non-security-professionals to the existence of this tech. If no one knows it exists, no one will be Googling it. So the SEO filter database won’t have our fans in it, just a cross sample of everyone who searches for a digital security camera. Good, but not great. Food for thought.
Been there. I’m editing a 4 camera HD show on a 5 year old computer on a bus. If I were to listen to the Mac brethren, this is an impossibility. Luckily I don’t listen to them and use Edius.
I wouldn’t think the speed problem is the sensors, but the image processing. And this company looks too small to develop the custom silicon necessary to make it real-time and consumer priced.
By the way, I am available commercially for brainstorming sessions.
I wouldn’t think the speed problem is the sensors, but the image processing. And this company looks too small to develop the custom silicon necessary to make it real-time and consumer priced.
I think the issue is backwards: if he spent the money to make movie cameras and sold them cheap, how many would he sell (there’s some pretty cool stuff out there for $5K)…as opposed to working on other magic widgets.
http://www.tenebraex.com/ is the mothership of Scallop. Check out the concept of 2 channel color night vision before you write off the R&D department. He makes a lot of stuff that “does not appear in stores.”
If you’re referring to the items on this page, then he needs to keep working at it (rather his PR firm does). There are no new reviews on the site (last one was 2010), and no case studies or feature articles and one of the links is broken. This type of publicity needs to be constant. A few pieces isn’t going to cut it.
Joe Doctor has the ability to do so, but as you said, he has to personally see the results first. How is he going to do that? Does Joe Doctor think about what camera made those mountain biking or cat videos? Not generally speaking. Unless you’re talking about making an actual commercial ad, but then you have to hope the right person sees it at a time when he is considering a security camera. Otherwise, it will just be that neat cat video. Also, as it’s been pointed out by other posters, he might initially assume its out of his price range if you can’t convey that it’s “affordable” in the video too. Constructing this type of video, that communicates everything you need it to, is not as easy as it may seem.
People generally only respond to the need for security if it’s triggered by fear. Why do you think nearly all home security commercials show someone breaking into a home with the homeowner present? To invoke that fear: “Oh my God. That could happen to me!”
Ultimately, you want the biggest bang for your buck. And targeting consumers with a $5k security system is going to be a tough proposition.
If you can make a solid argument, use a little fear and repeat your message, you can convince an outmoded industry that it needs change.
BTW - I used to do marketing/PR for a security camera company. I know exactly what challenges your friend is facing and have successfully overcome them.
Roughly. Old Polaroid/Land tech, new patents. Fits in your pocket, snaps on your existing nightvision and gives you full color. Medics can tell blood from water on a wet shirt, choppers can call smoke colors, etc.
The OP is asking us to help him come up with ideas for marketing the cam, but his replies seem more in the way of selling us on it. I don’t think the OP is intentionally doing that, but still . . .
First of all, I’m still not really sure why I should buy your camera. What is the benefit for me? Read this description from the website
I like to think I’m pretty tech savvy but reading your description, I have no clue if I can use it as a dashboard cam.
One of the first things I learned in computer retail is don’t tell the customer what it has but what it does. Think of it this way - I have a need and I want to see if your camera addresses my need. Does your website tell me? If a customer comes in and said I need a computer to do MS Office and World of Warcraft, do they want to hear about dual- vs. quad- cores and compare 2, 4 and 8 GB of RAM or do they want me to pull three machines and say “These will do what you need. The difference is that this one …” then explain how each is suitable for their current and future needs?
I can also tell you that many of the decision makers in physical security will be turned off by the technical description. They simply are not sitting around reading Wired and designing how to put out the live feed through a router so it can be filtered by the Heisenberg resonator. Many would read your description and immediately go to another site. The solution? Talk about how the 180 degree view means no blind spot when monitoring an outside entry. Security has a high turnover and guard often have just a high-school diploma so is it easy to use? Talk about that.
Find a copy of Security Management. That may give you a good idea of how to write for security managers.
Kittens aside, for a video aimed at business purchasers, I’d go for a short split screen video.
On the left is a mosaic of all the shots of all the cameras you’d need without this system, and at the bottom is type with a simple list of the equipment (e.g. 4 cameras, 3 floodlights), their estimated $$ cost, and Gb required for one evening’s recording.
On the right is a single shot showing all the above using your friend’s camera, with the same data. At the bottom is the same list “1 camera, 0 floodlights”.
Both sides show the same scene simultaneously of “people moving on both sides of a fence when it’s so dark you can’t see your hands”.
15-20 seconds is all you need for that. Cut to black. On the screen: “Bla bla security solutions does the job of 4 cameras and 3 floodlights for $$ less, and saves X Gb of data per night.” Simultaneously show Phone # & URL, 10 seconds on screen. End.
OK Got it. You don’t like the website. I agree. It’s being redone. Or you haven’t explored it very far. Lots of stuff in “Imagery.” The tech babble is primarily there for institutions who are heavily committed to their custom integration software and need to find out if the camera will work with said system. Most institutions could care less how much the camera costs - within reason - as they’re all about the same price. As the sophistication of the newer integrators speeds up, the older programs will die a natural death, but if he wants to sell 200 cameras at a time to a museum, they will NOT be buying software at the same time. Hence the babble.
The reason I’m online here is equally NOT to sell you guys cameras, because I think we’re all clear you aren’t buyers. I AM looking for how to do the exact things you suggest…distill the concept, make it easily digested to the uninitiated and see…
I think we have produced an idea here - for which I am seriously grateful. We’re trying to put a low-light camera in a shark tank at the aquarium- lights on in the day…lights off at night and the action never stops. Be a cool screensaver, yes?
If you want dashcam, email me aleonard@scallopimaging and I’ll send you some still from a MIni and a copcar.
I was talking to Mrs. Cad who has been a physical security manager for about 20 years. I really think you should take what I am writing seriously.
She made it through half of one of your description pages and phased out. If you have the “Our cameras do this …” pages then it is too deep on your website. The technical specs should be the pages that are a couple layers deep.
ICS-West is the second largest tradeshow and is primarily devoted to systems . . . but ASIS International is the largest and that is where the managers and decision makers go. Gus & Ben Lipman and Bill Witmore go to ASIS’s conference not ICS-West.
Hire a security professional to consult. It seem like you’re writing this for technical people and alienating a lot of people who could be in a potential market.What is the range of your camera? Mrs Cad would like to know that if she wants to buy your cameras and you have it buried on page 2 of the PDF. Guess what? She never got that far because she was overwhelmed by the techese. A security professional can help you write to the non-technical population. And although a person with PSP is OK, you should really look at people with CPP certification as a consultant.